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Paul Laurence Dunbar - Whistling Sam
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I has hyeahd o` people dancin` an` I `s hyeahd o` people singin`.
  An` I `s been `roun` lots of othahs dat could keep de banjo ringin`;
  But of all de whistlin` da`kies dat have lived an` died since Ham,
  De whistlin`est I evah seed was ol` Ike Bates`s Sam.
  In de kitchen er de stable, in de fiel` er mowin` hay,
  You could hyeah dat boy a-whistlin` pu`ty nigh a mile erway,--
  Puck`rin` up his ugly features `twell you could n`t see his eyes,
  Den you `d hyeah a soun` lak dis un f`om dat awful puckah rise:

  When dey had revival meetin` an` de Lawd`s good grace was flowin`
  On de groun` dat needed wat`rin` whaih de seeds of good was growin`,
  While de othahs was a-singin` an` a-shoutin` right an` lef,
  You could hyeah dat boy a-whistlin` kin` o` sof beneaf his bref:

  At de call fu` colo`ed soldiers, Sam enlisted `mong de res`
  Wid de blue o` Gawd`s great ahmy wropped about his swellin` breas`,
  An` he laffed an` whistled loudah in his youfful joy an` glee
  Dat de govament would let him he`p to mek his people free.
  Daih was lots o` ties to bin` him, pappy, mammy, an` his Dinah,--
  Dinah, min` you, was his sweet-hea`t, an` dey was n`t nary finah;
  But he lef `em all, I tell you, lak a king he ma`ched away,
  Try`n` his level bes` to whistle, happy, solemn, choky, gay:

  To de front he went an` bravely fought de foe an` kep` his sperrit,
  An` his comerds said his whistle made `em strong when dey could 

hyeah it.
  When a saber er a bullet cut some frien` o` his`n down,
  An` de time `u`d come to trench him an` de boys `u`d gethah `roun`,
  An` dey could n`t sta`t a hymn-tune, mebbe none o` dem `u`d keer,
  Sam `u`d whistle "Sleep in Jesus," an` he knowed de Mastah `d hyeah.
  In de camp, all sad discouraged, he would cheer de hea`ts of all,
  When above de soun` of labour dey could hyeah his whistle call:

  When de cruel wah was ovah an` de boys come ma`chin` back,
  Dey was shouts an` cries an` blessin`s all erlong dey happy track,
  An` de da`kies all was happy; souls an` bodies bofe was freed.
  Why, hit seemed lak de Redeemah mus` `a` been on earf indeed.
  Dey was gethahed all one evenin` jes` befo` de cabin do`,
  When dey hyeahd somebody whistlin` kin` o` sof` an` sweet an` low.
  Dey could n`t see de whistlah, but de hymn was cleah and ca`m,
  An` dey all stood daih a-listenin` ontwell Dinah shouted, "Sam!"
  An` dey seed a little da`ky way off yandah thoo de trees
  Wid his face all in a puckah mekin` jes` sich soun`s ez dese:
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